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Just imagine this: it’s a Tuesday and your favorite band’s new album just dropped and you are super stoked to pick it up and have it play in your car all week and possibly the next, depending on how quickly you learn the words and how awesome it truly is. The question is, where do you pick up this new treasure? Target? No, they have no music playing at all, no one knows about the band that you are talking about, and depending on the band (such as Municipal Waste and possibly any other harder or metal band) they won’t have it stocked on their shelves. Do you go to Wal-Mart? Hell no! They play crappy music, if any at all, and again, no real knowledge of the product, and to top it off, if you want an album with explicit content, say possibly the Angels and Airwaves newest release that has certain expletives on it, it’ll be censored out completely. And the shoddy thing about it, you never know until you get home and have opened the CD. Damn them. So where do you turn to? No, not your iTunes or Limewire, but around the corner to your local and friendly independent record store!
There is just something about being able to walk into a place that knows what they are talking about. Instead of wandering aimlessly through racks of the only newest copy albums at big chain stores such as Best Buy, you can simply ask the cool, hipster-looking guy who is standing behind the counter wearing an Al Green t-shirt or the punk-rock, alterna-girl wearing a shirt that reads "All Time Low Pwns" (which would probably be the writer herself).
Walking into an independent record store is like walking into your dream record collection; sure, there are other artists in there that you wouldn’t dream listening to, but it’s just good to know that they are there. When you walk in, you see the new releases right there, in your face, so you know what you are looking for and can go straight in for the kill. The place is covered in posters that range from Miles Davis to David Bowie and even our good friends, The Clash (who are always a staple). The music that is playing through the speakers mounted on the wall is probably more than likely Fugazi, The Smiths, or Sly and the Family Stone (depending on who’s turn it is to play a record). It smells faintly of incense, dust, vinyl, and new, plastic-wrapped, jewel-cased presents. This is what every fan of music should experience, knowing and going some place that you know that your musical needs and wants can be catered to. No longer will you have to walk up to a clerk in a red polo and ask about the new Flogging Molly and just get stared at, but instead you will be pleasantly shown were it is AND you will probably be given a mini review by who has shown you it to help you decide on your purchase.
Now, I know that not everyone can go and experience this magic that happens upon walking through the glass doors of your local record store. That is due simply to the fact that independent record stores are closing quite rapidly through the country due to lack of sales. It’s been happening to stores across the country and it’s continuing to occur. I work at one in my hometown of boring, old Williamsburg, Virginia (and I totally think that the Armor For Sleep song is about this town. Sometimes it really is that bad here) and it really is my only sanctuary besides attending shows at the local venues such as The NorVa (Norfolk), Alley Katz, Toad’s Place, and The Canal Club (all three in Richmond).
Recently, my beloved and childhood record store, which was formerly known as "Echoes" and is now "Plan 9 Music", had to move. Granted, it wasn’t far, but it was enough. Our original space that we had been occupying for the past 20 or so years was getting more and more expensive to rent out for us and in today’s dwindling business, that’s a problem. So what did we do? We packed everything up and moved it across the street to an old pet store location, which I might add, still smells like hamster bedding. Why? Cheaper rent. I will say, this new store is totally bitchin’ and is far bigger than our other store, but the point is, if Plan 9 had made enough money, we could have stayed. I loved the old store; it definitely had that worn in feeling and it had the BEST counter space ever; it was basically a mini stage and it was just great and had all the right angles.
But the fact of the matter is, because of downloading and this insane interest with music at our finger tips and crappy sound quality, not many people venture out of their homes to these stores that are musical oasis’ from the mundane and cruel world. It’s not just effecting the people who work in these stores or the owners, but the artists themselves. iTunes purchases don’t count towards Soundscan results and record sales today are at an all time low (no pun intended), and with all the nifty new things out there, like colored vinyl and awesome box sets, they aren’t being bought if you are sitting in front of your computer.
The next time an album comes out and you want it, just think how much cooler it will be to hold the liner notes in your hands and read the "Thank You’s" legibly, instead of using Photoshop to micro zoom on who Brendon Urie thanked in his.
Written by: Samantha
There is just something about being able to walk into a place that knows what they are talking about. Instead of wandering aimlessly through racks of the only newest copy albums at big chain stores such as Best Buy, you can simply ask the cool, hipster-looking guy who is standing behind the counter wearing an Al Green t-shirt or the punk-rock, alterna-girl wearing a shirt that reads "All Time Low Pwns" (which would probably be the writer herself).
Walking into an independent record store is like walking into your dream record collection; sure, there are other artists in there that you wouldn’t dream listening to, but it’s just good to know that they are there. When you walk in, you see the new releases right there, in your face, so you know what you are looking for and can go straight in for the kill. The place is covered in posters that range from Miles Davis to David Bowie and even our good friends, The Clash (who are always a staple). The music that is playing through the speakers mounted on the wall is probably more than likely Fugazi, The Smiths, or Sly and the Family Stone (depending on who’s turn it is to play a record). It smells faintly of incense, dust, vinyl, and new, plastic-wrapped, jewel-cased presents. This is what every fan of music should experience, knowing and going some place that you know that your musical needs and wants can be catered to. No longer will you have to walk up to a clerk in a red polo and ask about the new Flogging Molly and just get stared at, but instead you will be pleasantly shown were it is AND you will probably be given a mini review by who has shown you it to help you decide on your purchase.
Now, I know that not everyone can go and experience this magic that happens upon walking through the glass doors of your local record store. That is due simply to the fact that independent record stores are closing quite rapidly through the country due to lack of sales. It’s been happening to stores across the country and it’s continuing to occur. I work at one in my hometown of boring, old Williamsburg, Virginia (and I totally think that the Armor For Sleep song is about this town. Sometimes it really is that bad here) and it really is my only sanctuary besides attending shows at the local venues such as The NorVa (Norfolk), Alley Katz, Toad’s Place, and The Canal Club (all three in Richmond).
Recently, my beloved and childhood record store, which was formerly known as "Echoes" and is now "Plan 9 Music", had to move. Granted, it wasn’t far, but it was enough. Our original space that we had been occupying for the past 20 or so years was getting more and more expensive to rent out for us and in today’s dwindling business, that’s a problem. So what did we do? We packed everything up and moved it across the street to an old pet store location, which I might add, still smells like hamster bedding. Why? Cheaper rent. I will say, this new store is totally bitchin’ and is far bigger than our other store, but the point is, if Plan 9 had made enough money, we could have stayed. I loved the old store; it definitely had that worn in feeling and it had the BEST counter space ever; it was basically a mini stage and it was just great and had all the right angles.
But the fact of the matter is, because of downloading and this insane interest with music at our finger tips and crappy sound quality, not many people venture out of their homes to these stores that are musical oasis’ from the mundane and cruel world. It’s not just effecting the people who work in these stores or the owners, but the artists themselves. iTunes purchases don’t count towards Soundscan results and record sales today are at an all time low (no pun intended), and with all the nifty new things out there, like colored vinyl and awesome box sets, they aren’t being bought if you are sitting in front of your computer.
The next time an album comes out and you want it, just think how much cooler it will be to hold the liner notes in your hands and read the "Thank You’s" legibly, instead of using Photoshop to micro zoom on who Brendon Urie thanked in his.
Written by: Samantha
Current Location: Richmond
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